Irishman Morgan ready to do his number for Ashes batting spot

LONDON - Irish-born England middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan has cautioned those quick to clad him prematurely in a reserve tracksuit for the Ashes that if he gets a chance in any of the three warm-up games leading up to the first Test to be played at the Gabba in Brisbane, he will grab it.

Coach Andy Flower, whose insistence that the warm-up matches be changed to first-class affairs, will welcome Morgan’s warning.

“People might say that I would most likely be the one to miss out, but that’s not really the way I see it. I think it’s anybody’s,” the Daily Express quoted Morgan, as saying.

“Those three warm-ups are going to be very competitive and are going to be a good test. If I can pile on the runs, if I get an opportunity, then I cannot be far off,” he added.

Every time Morgan, 24, has needed to score runs to silence doubters or justify elevation to the next level throughout a career at club, county or country (both Ireland and England), and he has done it, unerringly.

As a 10-year-old he scored runs on his debut against adults when he played for his dad Jody’s club, Rush. He hit a double hundred on his debut at senior school and impressed enough to be offered a contract with Middlesex when he was 15.

Since then it has been a whirl through Under-19, Lions, T20, ODI and now Test sides in which he has consistently “got a few” when it mattered, including this summer when he made his maiden Test century against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

“I don’t know why that is really but I guess I just like playing in tricky situations,” said Morgan.

Morgan considers his efforts were “reasonably good” even if he does not think they will be enough to see him into the squad. (ANI)